Laodicea Asia Minor Dear Brethren, I Know Your Deeds, That You Are Neither Cold Nor Hot; I Would That You Were Cold Or Hot

The Letters to the 7 Churches of Asia

The Church Laodicea Asia Minor Dear Brethren, I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eyesalve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Lovingly, The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation Revelation 3:14-22 of God

EACH OF these letters to the seven churches has THE CITY had a different emphasis. In the letter to the church Forty miles southeast of Philadelphia, three at Ephesus, the emphasis was the importance of famous cities clustered in the valley of the river returning to its first love. The church at Smyrna Lycus. To the north of the river was the city of was warned against compromising and told to be Hierapolis; to the south of the river were the ready to suffer. The emphasis in the letter to the cities of Laodicea and Colossae, about ten miles church at Pergamum was the need to champion apart. Laodicea was founded about the middle the truth in the face of error that was all around of the third century B.C. by Antiochus II and them. The Christians at Thyatira were told to fol- named for his wife, Laodice. low righteousness even in the face of evil. The Laodicea was the location of a very famous emphasis in the letter to the brethren at Sardis was health resort. Hot mineral springs found in the they should be on the inside what they appear to be area were reputed to be soothing and restora- on the outside. The letter to the church in Philadel- tive. The famous medical center there was the phia stressed the open door of opportunity to source of a well-known Phrygian eye salve which evangelize that was available to them in spite of was in great demand. their size. To the church at Laodicea, the emphasis Having access to a fine soft wool from the will be a combination of strong denunciation of black sheep of the valley, the city was famous for their complacency and loving appeal for its wool industry. Because of its commercial wholeheartedness. This letter is one of the sternest, prosperity, its health resort, and the medical if not the sternest, of the seven letters. facilities, Laodicea was a popular place for 1 wealthy people to retire. Those things combined first and then He created everything else. This to make the city a famous banking center. word does not mean that. Arche means “source The wealth of the city caused her to be proud or origin.” Jesus is the source or origin of all and self-sufficient, so much so that in A.D. 60 creation. In Colossians 1:15ff., Paul wrote that when she suffered a severe earthquake, she re- Jesus is preeminent over all creation, all things fused any outside help in rebuilding the city. We being created in Him, through Him, and unto will see that pride, self-sufficiency and depen- Him. John expressed the same truth in John 1:3: dence upon material wealth were big factors in “All things came into being by Him, and apart the Lord’s denunciation of the Laodicean church. from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” This is Jesus who is true, who The Church at Laodicea is the very source or origin of all things that God The church at Laodice is mentioned in Colos- has created, who is speaking and writing these sians 4:16. Paul apparently had written letters to words. both the church at Colossae and at Laodicea, and in his closing in the letter to the Colossians, he THE CONDEMNATION (3:15, 17) instructed that the two churches exchange and The Lord has no words of commendation for read each other’s letters. the church at Laodicea. Even this first phrase, “I The congregation at Laodicea was not in- know your deeds,” cannot be understood as fected with the poison of a specific sin, nor was words of commendation as they were to the it troubled with either heretics or persecution. church at Ephesus when He told them He knew Laodicea had one problem and one problem their deeds, toil, and perseverance (2:2). alone—she was halfhearted in her devotion to God. This letter has within it an important lesson Their Lukewarmness for the twentieth-century church. He gets swiftly to the point: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold [that is, icy cold] THE SALUTATION AND nor hot [the word means burning hot]; . . . Be- SELF-DESIGNATION (3:14) cause you are lukewarm, . . . I will spit you out of This letter opens, as do the others, with a My mouth.” phrase that identifies the writer: “The Amen, the This vivid portrayal has long been inter- faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the preted against the local background. Hierapolis, creation of God.” six miles across the Lycus valley from Laodicea, The word “amen” affirms a statement as was famous for its hot springs. The waters flowed being absolutely true, absolutely reliable. We over a wide plateau and were lukewarm by the are familiar with statements of Jesus that begin, time they reached the edge. The waters were “Verily, verily,” or “Truly, truly.” In the original considered medicinal and beneficial while they language it is “Amen, amen”—coming from He- were hot but were nauseating when they were brew to Greek to English untranslated. We use lukewarm. “amen” to close prayers, affirming the truth of The adjectives “hot” and “cold” are not to be what has been expressed. Sometimes a preacher’s taken as describing spiritual fervor or lack of audience will say “amen” to indicate agreement fervor. The contrast is between the medicinal with what has been said. waters of Hierapolis and the cold pure waters of Jesus refers to Himself as “the Amen.” In Colossae, another neighboring city. The hot wa- John 14:6 He said He was the way, the truth, and ters were healing, the cold waters refreshing— the life. Jesus is not only the One who speaks the both having value to those who drank them. The truth, He is the Truth itself. The idea is further church in Laodicea “was providing neither re- expanded and defined by the phrase “the faith- freshment for the spiritually weary, nor healing ful and true Witness.” for the spiritually sick. It was totally ineffective, “Beginning” is not the best understanding and thus distasteful to its Lord.”1 This explana- of the Greek word arche. Some people in the tion solves the problem of why the Lord would religious world have taken this passage along prefer a church to be “cold” rather than “luke- with a few others to teach that Jesus was created warm.” 2 Their Claims But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires The Laodiceans claimed to be rich, to have which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For gotten riches, and to have need of nothing (3:17). the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and They were finding their security in their wealth; some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a they were complacent, self-satisfied, and self- pang. . . . sufficient. Not only were they smug in their trust Instruct those who are rich in this present world in material wealth; they also arrogantly claimed not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the to have accomplished it themselves, needing noth- uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them ing more than what they had been able to gain. to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous Jesus’ parable of the rich fool speaks to the and ready to share, storing up for themselves the attitude of the Laodiceans (Luke 12:16-21). The treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed rich fool, taking credit for the bounty and trust- (1 Timothy 6:9, 10, 17-19). ing it as his security, was also smug, complacent, and self-satisfied as he contemplated his wealth. The mere possession of wealth did not get His wealth did him no good when his soul was the Laodiceans in trouble. But their hope was set required, and that is to be the end of all who lay on their material riches instead of on God. The up treasure on earth instead of in heaven. remedy was to turn to the Lord for the true riches. Their True Condition Jesus’ condemnation directly parallels the THE EXHORTATION AND CONCLUSION reasons for their self-satisfaction. In spite of liv- (3:19-22) ing in a city noted for its health resort, they were “miserable.” They lived in a city noted for its Tough Love wealth, but they were “poor.” Their medical Jesus continues, “Those whom I love, I re- center was world-renowned for its eyesalve, but prove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and they were “blind.” One of their sources of wealth repent.” “Tough love” is a popular phrase today. was textiles, yet they were “naked.” Their mate- It means showing love for another in ways that rial condition did not keep them from being are best for that person, even if it means correc- spiritually destitute, and their reliance upon their tion, reproof, or punishment. The Lord said hard material wealth resulted in spiritual poverty. things to the Christians at Laodicea and called for their repentance, but He was doing it out of The Remedy love for them and a desire for what was best for The Laodiceans thought they had everything them. they needed, when in reality, they desperately The word for “love” in 3:19 is phileo, meaning needed what the Lord had to offer. He says, “. . . feelings of affection. Jesus is expressing personal buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may affection for them, and that love moves Him to do become rich, . . .” They needed the spiritual what is necessary to bring about a correction of riches available through Christ to be genuinely their spiritual deficiencies. Their confidence in rich. “. . . and white garments, that you may His love should motivate them to take His admo- clothe yourself, . . .” In contrast with the black nitions to heart, just as we can much more easily wool of Laodicea’s textile industry, the Chris- accept correction from one who loves us than tians there needed the white garments of right- from one who does not have our welfare at heart. eousness to cover their spiritual nakedness. “. . . Hebrews 12:4-11 compares the chastening of and eyesalve to anoint your eyes, that you may the Lord to the discipline of an earthly father. see.” The famous eyesalve of Laodicea was not Out of love for his son a father will discipline him healing their spiritual blindness—they needed for his good. The loving heavenly Father deals the healing of the Lord. with us as His children as He disciplines us to Possessing material wealth is not wrong in bring about our righteousness and ultimate well- and of itself, but it can present a serious danger. being. The writer to the Hebrews went so far as The apostle Paul addressed this very situation in to say if we are not disciplined by God, we are 1 Timothy 6: not His children. 3 “Behold, I Stand at the Door” materialism, lukewarmness, and dependence on Holman Hunt painted a picture of Jesus en- their material wealth. No one can deny that titled “The Light of the World.” Jesus is pictured those ills plague the church of today. For the standing and knocking at a door with no knob. church to overcome and go on to victory, each The door represents the door of the heart, and Christian must overcome the attitudes that dim- the knob is on the inside. inish enthusiasm and result in lukewarmness or The Lord never forces Himself on anybody. no performance for the Lord. We cannot mistake He stands and knocks, patiently waiting for the the call to commitment sent out to each of these door to be opened and for Him to be invited in. seven churches. The same call to commitment He says, “If anyone hears My voice and opens comes to us. The final reward is worth each the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with Christian’s zealous, enthusiastic, faithful serv- him, and he with Me.” In the ancient world the ice. first two meals of the day were functional—a —Edward P. Myers hurried breakfast at the beginning of the day and some lunch caught during a break from the day’s ENDNOTE activities. The evening meal, the supper meal, 1M. J. S. Rudwick and E. M. B. Green, “The Laodicean Lukewarmness,” Expository Times 69 (1957-8): 178. was that time a man spent eating leisurely and socially. The day’s activities had been taken care of. In a relaxed atmosphere he could enjoy din- QUOTATIONS ing with his family and friends at a meal that often took hours to eat. In Oriental lands eating together was very significant. It meant a strong “Moral nausea is roused by tepid religion. bond of affection and companionship. That back- It is best to be warm, and energetic; but a frank ground caused the common meal to be used as a repudiation of religion is more promising from symbol of the intimacy to be enjoyed in the an ethical standpoint than a half-and-half kingdom of the Lord. The Lord offers that kind attachment, complacently oblivious of any of intimacy and fellowship to those who open shortcoming. The outsider may be convinced the door for Him. and won over; there is hope of him, . . . But what can be done with people who are nomi- The Promise to the Overcomer nal Christians, unable to recognize that they In this last letter as in the other six, a promise need repentance and that Jesus is really out- is given to the overcomer: “He who overcomes, side their lives?” I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My The Expositor’s Greek Testament Father on His throne.” Christ was victorious over Satan and death and sat down with the “The unexamined life is the life not worth Father to reign with Him. The Christian is prom- living.” ised the same reward. Overcoming persecution Plato and overcoming Satan will result in victory and the opportunity to sit with Christ on His throne “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks and reign with Him. Paul wrote: “It is a trust- in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his worthy statement: For if we died with Him, we megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” shall also live with Him; if we endure, we shall C.S. Lewis, also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also The Problem of Pain will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:11, 12). For the seventh time we read the exhortation “It is in that stubborn staying power most from Jesus: “He who has an ear, let him hear preachers fail. Gradually, imperceptibly, they what the Spirit says to the churches.” The mes- lose heart and expectancy, come at last to put sages to the churches in Asia were not just for things through with the feeling it had better be them in their time but for the church through the done, but nothing much will come of it.” ages. Laodicea had to overcome complacency, A. J. Gossip